In recent years, across New York, modern Filipino spots have emerged: Naks by the Unapologetic Foods team and the now-closed Tadhana, both on the Lower East Side, and Barkada Social Club in Astoria. And now, Bukas Cafe, which continues that wave by presenting a menu so different from the traditional fare at longstanding pioneers like Renee's and Ihawan in Woodside's Little Manila.
Filipino food is the kind of thing everyone should try at least once, but it's such a varied cuisine that it bears coming back often. Often bold, bright, and playful, Filipino food is full of life. And, unless you know a very ambitious home cook, there's nowhere better to have your first Filipino food experience than at your local Filipino restaurant.
The Filipino food scene in Chicago is fully in its boom era, with many establishments highlighting homegrown flavors in the city and even more infusing them into pastries and more. As a Philippine native who moved to the U.S. in 2024, I try to introduce dishes that equally deserve spotlight in equal measure to lumpia and adobo. When people ask me what I miss most from home, there's one dish that comes to mind: sisig.
Kula Jay's Ube Kafe held a soft opening on Nov. 15, bringing its pop-up business to life in an existing food business known as Gerly's Ice Cream, which was temporarily closed for the season and whose owner allowed Kula Jay's to use the space through spring 2026. According to photos and videos online, the business had already garnered lines out the door for its menu of lattes and sweet treats utilizing the ingredient ube, a purple yam native to the Philippines.
I like an over-easy egg with some buttered toast for breakfast as much as the next person. But a fried egg sitting on top of warmed-up leftover white rice or fried rice? That's my preferred breakfast any day of the week. I grew up in a Filipino household, and fried eggs alongside rice was a breakfast staple for us. My mom always opted for frying eggs in olive oil, but as I've gotten older I've discovered that I like to fry my eggs in something more flavorful: sesame oil.
Sreparplarn ran the Brooklyn fiery Thai spot for seven years and shuttered it in late 2024. The Carroll Gardens original - known for spicy regional dishes like kua kling curry, kang hoh pork stew, and a duck salad that helped draw hours-long lines, plus an underrated beer list - closed in late December so Sreparplarn could take a break and work on a cookbook, while his onetime staff carries on at 407 Smith Street with their own Thai spot, Hungry Thirsty.
Restaurant Naides is the project of co-owners Patrick Gabon and Celine Wuu, with Gabon having worked as a chef under Sons & Daughters executive chef Harrison Cheney. The plan is to offer a 10- to 13-course tasting menu "highlighting Filipino ingredients alongside foraged, preserved, and fermented components," per Tablehopper, so clearly some Sons & Daughters vibes will be present there.
"Pamana always stuck, because at the end of the day, what we do is for our family and what we learned from them, and that's how we keep a lot of our stories and our culture alive," says Geri.
At The Block at Woods Hill, diners can enjoy lobster and 'nduja pierogi with corn relish, alongside cocktails made with seasonal produce. This new restaurant in the Seaport highlights local sourcing and features dry-aged meats from its sibling farm in New Hampshire.
We're just focusing now on the dishes that I grew up eating, the dishes that I love eating every day, said Valdez. Mostly, the food that we're serving at Naks is like the original form of it. What you can see back home, this is the same food that we're serving at Naks.
Omar Shah's new restaurant, Belly, brings a fresh dining experience to Kentish Town with a unique blend of Filipino and European flavors, elevating simple dishes with global ingredients.
